That's the life of a struggling kicker. Sporting News talked to several former NFL kickers who empathize with Crosby, mired in every kicker’s nightmare—a slump he can’t seem to shake.

Mason Crosby's recent slump is a source of concern as the Green Bay Packers head toward the postseason. (AP photo)

“I can’t tell you all the field goals that I made, but I can probably tell you every single one I missed,” said Matt Bahr, who kicked in the NFL from 1979-95, and won two Super Bowl rings with the Steelers. “I always felt I could have done better, could have done something different to make every one.”

Crosby has missed 12 of his last 24 kicks—including two in the Packers' Week 15 victory over the Bears. Packers coach Mike McCarthy has decided to stick with Crosby, believing that a once reliable kicker who signed a five-year, $14.75 million contract before the 2011 season will return to form.

Morten Andersen, the league’s all-time leading scorer, is a good friend of Crosby’s and they talk periodically. Andersen is convinced Crosby will right himself and that the Packers will be rewarded for standing by him.

“He’s a strong guy,” Andersen said. “I’ve known him way back since his college days (at Colorado). He’s a competitor. This will not continue for him. He’s going to find his way out. This us going to make him stronger and better.”

Bahr, who is also rooting for Crosby, never had the chance to work through a slump that lasted for months.

“Generally, you’re not really allowed to have a slump,” Bahr said. “If you have a bad week, they get on you. If you have two bad weeks, they’re starting to look for other people, looking at their short list, trying guys out. You won’t have a third bad week.”

There is no escape for a struggling kicker. People stop you in the grocery store and offer advice. You get letters from fans. Family chimes in.

“Even my dad was telling me one time, `What are you doing? why didn’t you make the kick?’ said Jim Breech, who kicked for 14 seasons in the NFL, including 13 with the Bengals. “I was like, ‘I’m not TRYING to miss, Dad.’ ”

Maybe the worst part is looking into the eyes of teammates, knowing they no longer have confidence in you. Rarely does anyone say something to a kicker’s face. But kickers know what their teammates are thinking.

“For the most part, guys try to be pretty supportive, but once in a while you hear comments,” Breech said. “I had it happen a couple of times. My first year with the Bengals, one of our linebackers introduced me to these people at dinner and says, 'This is Jim Breech—he lost the game for us today.’ Just what you need—teammates in your corner. But in the back of your mind, you’re thinking the same thing.”

How can the Packers help Crosby? Bahr said teammates should try to lighten his mood.

“When I was having a rough spell with the Browns, a few guys took me out to a go-kart place,” Bahr said. “You tend to focus too much yourself. That kind of helped me remember why I played the game.

“But some of it’s up to the personality of the kicker. I always tried to be as much a part of the team as I could. That’s why I always jumped in there on tackles on kickoffs. I got killed every time, but it was fun to do and it made you feel more part of the team. You never want to isolate yourself from the other players.”

Andersen said one of the hard parts for kickers is waiting for the next opportunity.

“Even shutdown corners get burned, but they can make up for it the next series,” Anderson said. “The left tackle gets a holding call, (but) it’s not as polarizing as when we make a mistake. A position player might have 70 plays to make up for his mistakes. But our mistakes are so naked, so exposed, like when a corner gets burned or when a quarterback throws a pick.”

Breech has watched several of Crosby’s misses and believes his confidence has been shaken.

“It seems like something’s gotten into his head a little bit,” Breech said. “I’m sure he’s trying to work through it. But the mental side is really what gets to you.”

With the Packers having already clinched a playoff spot, Crosby could have several crucial kicks in his future. Former Colts kicker Jim O’Brien made one of the biggest kicks in league history—a 32-yard game-winner in Super Bowl V with five seconds to play. O’Brien said he believes Crosby is not too discombobulated to make a clutch playoff kick.

“He has been such a good kicker, and he’s made game-winners before," O’Brien said. “Some of his kicks are just two feet left of the left upright. Maybe it’s just mechanics. Aim one inch further right. It’s like a golf shot. One inch here equals a lot of yards down there.

“In the Super Bowl, I got my first extra point blocked and I learned a lot because I was nervous as hell. I was late to the kick. I was probably thinking about what could go wrong. But on the game-winner, I didn’t think about anything. I put my body on automatic and it worked out fine.”

Kickers are like a fraternity, and they are rooting for Anderson. O’Brien said there are times when he actually stands up in front of the television when a kicker comes in with the game on the line. “I just don’t want to see the guy fail,” he said.

It remains to be seen whether Crosby will work things out. But Bahr wants everyone to know that making kicks in the NFL is not as easy as kickers make it look.

“Teammates always tell you—it’s great to be a kicker,” Bahr said. “Your comeback is always: ‘Everyone wants to be a kicker—until Sunday.’ "